With the rapid progress of electronic and information technology, an expectation for the realization of body area network (BAN) has risen. However, on-body transmission characteristics are greatly dependent on the frequency, and a high-speed transmission is difficult due to the remarkable signal attenuation at higher frequencies. In this study, we proposed a pulse transmission system with the frequencies at dozens of mega-hertzes. The system was based on an impulse radio (IR) scheme with bi-phase modulation. By using the frequency-dependent finite difference time domain (FD2TD) method, we investigated the on-body transmission characteristics and derived a path loss expression. Based on the transmission characteristics, we also investigated the influences of white Gaussian noises and other narrow-band interferences on the communication link budget and bit error rate (BER) performance. The results have shown the feasibility of the proposed on-body IR communication system.

To clarify the transmission characteristics and near magnetic field on the angle pattern for the parallel transmission lines, the authors investigate how influence the angled pattern on the transmission lines by experiment and calculation. The angled patterns on the transmission lines are straight, right angle and curve. It shows that the suppression of EMI radiation at the angled pattern on the parallel transmission lines of the magnetic head is essential. In addition, it is suggested that angle pattern might be one of cause for the signal distortion and specific EMI radiation at high frequency.

The effect of the structure with difference on cross-section for the enlarged models that simulates signal transmission line (STL) in the magnetic head of HDD is discussed. The experimental results suggested that strip and shield structure are effective for suppression of EMI.

By adopting a network architecture in which not only a calling but also a called terminal can select a wavelength, a novel WDM network becomes possible. This we call Wavelength Assignment Photonic Network (WAPN). In this network wavelengths are a kind of network resources and according to requests from terminals, wavelengths are allocated or assigned to calls. In the system a wavelength used for a call is to be used for another call after the call is terminated. By supplying wavelengths to the home, a bitrate-free, protocol free or even transmission method free network can be realized. In this paper, from a viewpoint of S/N or Q factor, WAPN is evaluated with special focus on the node architecture--i. e. , from the viewpoint of node size, number of switching stages, crosstalk level,and losses, because the allowable node size is the crucial issue to decide the whole network capacity. After brief explanations of this proposed system, the model for system evaluations will be established and a node system is to be evaluated for some practical parameter values considering especially traffic characteristics of a node. As a result of this study a node system with capacity more than 100 thousands erl (about 20 Tbps throughput) can be constructed using present available technologies, which will enable us to construct large WAPN network with radius of 2,000 km and subscribers of about 50 millions.

By adopting a network architecture in which not only a calling but also a called terminal can select a wavelength, a novel WDM network becomes possible. This we call Wavelength Assignment Photonic Network (WAPN). In this network wavelengths are a kind of network resources and according to requests from terminals, wavelengths are allocated or assigned to calls. In the system a wavelength used for a call is to be used for another call after the call is terminated. By supplying wavelengths to the home, a bitrate-free, protocol free or even transmission method free network can be realized. In this paper, from a viewpoint of S/N or Q factor, WAPN is evaluated with special focus on the node architecture--i. e. , from the viewpoint of node size, number of switching stages, crosstalk level,and losses, because the allowable node size is the crucial issue to decide the whole network capacity. After brief explanations of this proposed system, the model for system evaluations will be established and a node system is to be evaluated for some practical parameter values considering especially traffic characteristics of a node. As a result of this study a node system with capacity more than 100 thousands erl (about 20 Tbps throughput) can be constructed using present available technologies, which will enable us to construct large WAPN network with radius of 2,000 km and subscribers of about 50 millions.

For Nakagami-Rice fading environment which seems to become a principle propagation environment in the next generation wideband and high-capacity mobile systems such as personal communications, we have previously proposed an approximated evaluation scheme for wideband digital transmission characteristics such as errors due to intersymbol interference of multipath waves. We called the scheme 'Equivalent Transmission-Path (ETP) Model.' In this paper, through a discussion about more general equivalent propagation channel expressions, we clarify a theoretical foundation of the ETP model and extend the model to have an ability of expression of instantaneous fading condition varying with time. Also the appropriateness of the instantaneous expression is examined by a computer simulation analysis. Based on this model, statistics of link quality and service availability in Nakagami-Rice fading environments are discussed.

Transmission characteristics of CPW bends having various curvatures and a fixed bend angle were measured. It was found that the transmission level shows dips at some particular frequencies, and that the dips are less pronounced as the radius of curvature becomes larger.